Collared Sparrowhawk at Bega, NSW
Identification history
| Accipiter cirrocephalus | 4 Nov 2021 | Liam.m | ||
| Accipiter cirrocephalus | 1 Nov 2021 | Liam.m | ||
| Accipiter fasciatus | 24 Aug 2020 | StephH |
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User's notes
On the basis of the face in the photo I would have said that this was a sparrowhawk, but its size made me think goshawk. Couldn't see tail or feet for better ID confirmation.
6 comments
HarveyPerkins
wrote:
25 Aug 2020
Certainly it doesn't look particularly beetle-browed, but to me the shape and proportions of the bill, its relative size to the head as a whole, and the degree of 'over-bite' of the upper bill is suggestive of Brown Goshawk. It is fairly bulky, so I'd be thinking female. Does this fit with your recollection of size - a female BG would be noticeably larger than a CS.
JackieMiles
wrote:
25 Aug 2020
From the CSIRO field guide the less reddish colour of the barring on the breast and the fact that there is no reddish colouration round the side of the neck also looks like female goshawk, not sparrowhawk.
StephH
wrote:
25 Aug 2020
Thanks Harvey and Jackie. The bird was of the annoyingly in between size that made it inconclusive for me, but I think its muscly bulk is a key determinant, and both your comments support the conclusion that it's a goshawk.
MaxCampbell
wrote:
25 Aug 2020
Hi Steph, Harvey and Jackie, I offer this a little hesitantly because it involves me having copied the photo onto my computer and enhanced the contrast while reducing the highlights. I felt there was more information to be gleaned around the beak and indeed it does look as if the blue colouration below the cere extends up in front, which is a distinguishing feature in favour of a sparrowhawk. (Australian bird guide - Menkhorst et al)
AndrewMcCutcheon
wrote:
25 Aug 2020
Great shot Steph, I agree with Max that this bird is more likely to be a Collared Sparrowhawk. The rounded head with less pronounced features and no beetle-brow suggest to me that species. And when you say the size suggests Brown Goshawk, a female Collared SH is the same size as a male Brown Goshawk, with female of the latter being much larger again. Pity we can't see the tail, legs and toes which are different for both species.
HarveyPerkins
wrote:
25 Aug 2020
Hi Max - I did note that component of the Australian Bird Guide distinguishing features, but don't know how much weight to put on it. It is not mentioned in Stephen Debus's field guides (Birds of Prey of Australia), and it is not explicitly mentioned in the HANZAB texts. At best, the differences identified in HANZAB are : Brown Goshawk - "Bill, grey-black to black with light-grey to light blue-grey base." vs Collared Sparrowhawk - "Bill, grey-black to black with light-grey, pale-grey or light bluish-grey base of varying extent." Given the subjectivity of these descriptions, the "variability" of extent, and the lack of detail in the photo (I didn't do any computer enlargement or manipulation), I don't know how reliable that feature is, particularly in this instance.
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Nearby sightings
Location information
- Coordinates 149.853095-36.682918
- Places Bega, NSW
Sighting information
- 1 Abundance
- 24 Aug 2020 07:37 PM Recorded on
- StephH Recorded by
Species information
- Accipiter cirrocephalus Scientific name
- Collared Sparrowhawk Common name
- Not Sensitive
- Local native
- Non-invasive or negligible
- Up to 814.48m Recorded at altitude
- 236 images trained Machine learning
- External link More information
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Synonyms
Accipiter (Paraspizias) cirrocephalus cirrocephalus Accipiter (Paraspizias) cirrocephalus
Record quality
- Images or audio
- More than one media file
- Verified by an expert moderator
- Nearby sighting(s) of same species
- GPS evidence of location
- Description
- Additional attributes
